oke to her father and
Deleroy, reasoning with the latter, as it would appear. Indeed, in
a sudden hush I caught some of her words. They were, "If you are not
ashamed to take his money, you should not be ashamed to sit at meat with
him."

Deleroy stamped his foot, but the end of it was that I was summoned
to the high table where the lady Blanche made place for me beside her,
while Deleroy sat himself down between two splendid dames at the other
end of the board.

Here, then, I stayed by Blanche who, I noted, wore the ruby heart
encircled by serpents. Indeed, this was the first thing of which she
spoke to me, saying,

"It looks well upon my robe, does it not, and I thank you for it, Master
Hubert, who know surely that it is not my cousin Deleroy's gift, but
yours, since for it you will never see your money."

By way of answer I looked at the sumptuous plate and furnishings, the
profusion of the viands, and the number of the serving-men. Reading my
thought, she replied,

"Aye, but pledged, all of it. I tell you, Master Hubert, that we are
starved hounds, though we live in a kennel with golden bars. And now
they would pawn you that kennel also."

Then, while I wondered what to say, she began to talk of our great
adventure in bygone years, recalling every tiny thing that had happened
and every word that had been spoken between us, some of which I had
forgotten. Of one thing only she said nothing--the kisses with which we
parted. Amongst much else, she spoke of how the ancient sword had shorn
through the armour of the French knight, and I told her that the sword
was named Wave-Flame and that it had come down to me from my ancestor,
Thorgrimmer the Viking, and of what was written on its blade, to all of
which she listened greedily.

"And they thought you not fit to sit at meat with them, you whose race
is so old and who are so great a warrior, as you showed that day. And
it is to you that I owe my life and more than life, to you and not to
them."

So saying she shot a glance at me that pierced me through and through,
as my arrows had pierced the Frenchmen, and what is more beneath the
cover of the board for a moment let her slim hand rest upon my own.

After this for a while we were silent, for indeed I could not speak.
Then we talked on as we could do well enough, since there was no one on
my left where the board ended, and on Blanche's right was a fat old
lord who seemed to be deaf and occupied himself in drinkin